Tap-splitting machine



Oct. 30, 1928 'w. J. RANCOURT I TAP SPLITTING MACHINE original fil ed may 19 Reissue d 0.5;. so, 192a.

-- UNITED! STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER .T. fRANCOUBT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TAP-SPLITTING MACHINE.

-- Original No. 1,514,100, dated November-4, 1924, Serial No. 687,192, filed May 7, 1923. Application for I reissue filed July 26, 1928. Serial No. 295,588.

. v A I This invention relates to amachlne forsplitting atap for boots and shoes a portion of its length from the rear end thereof.

Taps which are made of composition or rubber are in many instances s lit from the rear endthereof for aportion o their len h in orderthat tape may be inserted there etween to more firmly hold the tacks or nails by which the said taps are fastened to the sole of a boot or shoe.

The object of this invention, therefore, is to speedily and accurately split the taps of boots or shoes for a portion of their length from the rear end thereof. The invention consists in the combination and arrange- 'ments of parts set forth in the following Flg. 3 is a detail sectional plan takenon line 3 3 of Fig. 2, illustratin a portion of the means whereby the feed rol s are adjusted toward or away from each other.

Like numerals refer to like parts through I out the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 5 is the frame of the machine terminating at its upper end in a U- shaped head 6 upon which is rotatably mounted the main driving shaft 7 which is rotated by any suitable mechanism or power.

. A rotary cutter 8 is fastened to the shaft 7 and isrotated thereby. A pair of spreader plates 9 are provided adjacent to opposite faces respectively of the cutter 8 and are fastened at their upper ends to the two' legs 10 and 11 of the. head 6. These spreader plates terminate at their lower edges in.- a curved portion ,12 concentric with the cut-.

ter 8 and a straight portion 13. The front edge 14 of each of the spreader plates has a projection 15 thereon which projectsbetween the split portions'of the tap in order to spread them apart afterthe tap has been split by the cutter 8.

The tap is guided 'to the cutter by a pair 16 h as a flange 16 constituting an. upper guiding edge and is fastened to a feed roller bearing frame 18 by screws 19, see Fig. 1.

and the angle iron guide plate 17 is fastened to the guide plate 16.

I The ta is fed to the cutter by a series of pairs of eed rolls 20, 21, 22 and 23, said rolls of guide plates 16 and 17. The guide plate screws 28 and 29 to crossheads 30 and 31.

These crossheads are movably connected together by pins 32 which are each provided at their oppositeend's respectively with a head 33 and a washer 34, the latter being held upon the pin 32 by a split pin 35.

Springs 36 are interposed between the head,

heads 30 and 31 and the ends 26 and 27 of the frames 18 and 24 and have slots (shown dotted in Figs. land 3) throughwhich extend the stems of the screws 28 and 29. When these screws are tightened the feed roll frames 18 and 24 and the crossheads 30- and 31 are secured to the frame 55, but upon the screws 28 and 29 being loosened the slots permit movement of the crossheads and feed roll frames, so that by rotating the screws 39 apd 40 in theproper direction, the crossheads 30 and 31 and the roll frames 18 and 24 which are fastened thereto may be moved toward and away from each other, together with the pairs of rolls 20, 21, 22 and 23 which are their oppq the tap rotatably mqunted as hereinbefore set forth,

at the upper ends upon theframes 18 and 24.

The feed rolls 20, 21, 22 and 23 are pro-. h

vided with shafts 41, 42, 43 and 44 respec-' tively which .extend downwardly therefrom and are rotatably mounted in the crossh'eads 30 and 31. 'These shafts are rotatedby bevel gears 45, 46, 47 and 48 and which 'mesh into theb'eyel gears 49, 50, 51 amL52. The lastnamed ears'are fastened to a pair-of paral-' by abelt, 63 and pulleyy.64. The pulley 64 is fastened to a shaft 65 rotatably mounted in the frame 5 and having fastened at its opposite end a pulley 66 which is rotated by a belt; 67 and by a pulley 68 which is fastened to the main sha ft 7. v a

I It will be noted thatthe upper ends of the feed'rolls 20 extend ,towardthe cutter 8v and beyond the upper'en-ds of the feed rolls 21, 22 and 23 and that the cutting edge of'the cutter 8 projects between the u perv ends of the "feed rolls 20, the object of t iswconstruction being that the upper end of the tap, or

- that end of the tap which is to be split by the cutterfshall be accurately positioned relative- 1y to the cutting edge of the cutter shaft, so that when the 'cuttingwork commences and whilethe tap is being fedto the cutter by the rolls 20, it will split the tap on a predetermined plane between the lateral faces thereof, and having thus started thesplitting of in the proper plane, relatively to the latera faces thereof, thesp'reader plates 9 and the rolls 21, 22 and 23 will continue to present and position theta relatively to the cutter in the proper locatlon. It will be understood that the prongs 20' on the pe-v ripheries of the feed rolls serve the purpose of accurately and positively feeding the tap to the cutter.

The general operation of the-mechanism hereinbefore specifically described is as follows :A tap 69, Fig. 2 is placed against the inner face of the guide plate 16 with a straight rearedge of the tapbearing against the under side of the flange 16 on the guide plate 16. The other end of the tap bears against the upper edge of the guide plate-17. The operator then pushes'the tap forwardly between the pair of rolls 20, whereupon it is seized by the prongs 20 .on' said rolls and fed forwardly into engagement with the cutter S.

The-tap is'fedby the rolls 20 between the pair ofrolls 21 which seize the tap and feed it forward between therolls 22, while the rolls 22 and the rolls feed the tap out of themac ine.

described, the cutter splits thesame from the rear end thereof downwardly to the front edges of the spreader plates 9 enter between the split portions of the tap and further movement-forward of the tap by the feed rolls causes the split porti6ns to be'spread apart by the spreader plates. I claim":

1. Atap. splitting machine having in com-' bination, a rotary cutter, feeding means for feeding a tap edgewise past said cutter comprising a pair of feed rolls on the approach feed the tap forward between the rolls 23,

While the tapis being 'fed, as hereinbefore broken line A and the 'projections115 on the side of said cutter having ends overlying the cuttin 'edge'and adapted to control the portion 0 the tap being split while thecutter s operatingthereon,-andother feed rolls beyond the said pair in the direct-ion of feed extending to close by the edge of the cutter in position to'engage the'unsplit portion of the tap as the tap moves past said cutter.

- 2 2. A tap splitting machine having, in combination, a rotary cutter ,rfeeding means beside the cutter on opposite sides ofthe plane of the cutting edge arranged to control the tap'while it is passing said cutter;-said feeding means being in peripheral; relation. to the cutting edgewith a portion of the feeding :means controlling the'portion of thetap being split while the cutter is operating on and with the remainder of the f means adapted to engage only the unsplit por tior'rof the ,tap as the split portion thereof passes by the. cutter.

3. A tap splitting machine havin incombination, a rotary cutter, a series 0 pairs of feed rolls adapted to feed a tap to said-cutter and a pair of stationary spreader platoslocated upon opposite sides ofsaid cutter and thereadapted to spread the portions of said tap which are, split by said cutter away from each other. a

4. A tap splitting machine having, in conibination, a rotary cutter, the'axis of which is horizontal, a series of pairs of vertical feed rolls adapted to feed atap to said cutter and a pair of guide plates'adapted to engage the opposite ends respectively of said tap and guide the same to the first of said pairs of feed rollers.

5. Atap splitting machine having, in combination, a rotary cutter, a series of pairs of feed rolls adapted to feed a tap to said cutter,

the axes of said rolls lying in two parallel planes extending transversely ofthe axis of said cutter and located upon oppositesides respectively of said cutter, means to spread the split portions of said tap apart and means to adjust the rolls of said seriesrof rolls toward and away from each other.

6. A tap splitting machine having, in combination, a rotary cutter, a series of pairs of feed rolls adapted to feed a tap to said outter, the axes of said rolls lying in two parallel planes extending transversely of the axis of said cutter aud located upon opposite sldes'respectively of said cutter, means to spread the split'portions of said tap away said on toward and away bination, a rotary cutter,

; spread them away 'fromeach other,

from each other, a pair tively is rotatably mounted and means'to adjust said frames and the rolls mounted therefrom each other.

7. A tap splitting machine having, in combination, a'rotarycutter, a series of'pairs of feed rolls adapted to feed a tap to said cutter, the axes of'said rolls lying in two parallel planes extending transversely of the axis of said cutter and. located upon opposite sides respectively of said cutter, means'to spread the split portions-of said tap away from each other, a pair of frames in which one roll of each of said p airs of rolls is rotatably mounted, a pair of conical adjusting members interposed between said frames, means to adjust whereby said frames may be moved apart and yielding means engaging said frames an adapted to move them toward each other whereby said frames and the feed rolls mounted thereon may be adjusted toward and away from each other.

8. A tap splitting machine'having, in coma series of pairs of feed rolls adapted to feed a tap to said cutter and a pair of stationary spreader plates located on'opposite sides respectively of said cutter and caeh provided with a projection on its front edge adjacent the bottom thereof adapted to project between the split portions of said tap and spread them away from each.

other.

9. A tap splitting machine havin in com-' 7 bination, a rotary cutter, aseries oi: pairsof feed rolls adapted to feed a tap to said cutter,

, a pair of statioiu ry spreader plates located on opposite sides respectively of said cutter and upon opposite sides respectively of a plane positioned between the rolls of each of said pairs of. rolls, each spreader plate being provided with a projection on its front edge adjacent the ject between the split portions of said taper 121i .sai

spreader plates heinglocatcd at the. rear of the first pair of feed rolls, the lower QClfICSOE said spreader plates extending rearwardly from said first pair of feed rolls and above the other pairs of feed rolls.

10. A tap splitting machine having, in combination, a rotary cutter, means to feed a tap to said cutter, means to guide said tap relatively to said cutter in a plane approximately parallel to the face of said cutter and a spreader positioned adjacent to said cutter and adapted to project between the portions of frames in which one roll of each of said pairs of rolls respecconical members toward each other the unsplit portion of the tap;

bottom thereof adapted to pro-i split while the of said tap which are split by said cutter and spread said portions apart.

11; A tap splitting machine having, in combination, a rotary cutter, means to feed a tap to said cutter, meansto guide said tap relatively to said cutter in a plane approxi-,) ln'ate'ly parallel to the face of said cutter and apair of stationary spreader plates located upon opposite sides of said cutter and'adapted to spread the portions of said tap which are split by said cutter away from said other.

12. A tap splitting machine having, in

combination, a rotary cutter, the axis of which is horizontal, a series of pairs of' vertical feed rolls adapted to feed a tap to said cutter, and guide plates adapted to engage the opposite ends and one face of said tap. I

and guide the same of feed rolls.

' 13. A tap-splitting machine having in combination, a rotary cutter, means to feed a tap. edgewise past said cutter; a guide. ahead of said feeding means adapted to be engaged by the edge of the tap to be split; the said guide and feeding means being arranged so that the portion of the tap to be split is'presented to the feeding means on the approach,

to the first of said pairs side of the cutter in position for said feeding means to control the portion of tap being while the cutter 1s operating thereon, so that only the unsplit. portion of the split and tap is engaged by the feeding means as the tap is fed past the cutter.

14. A tap-splitting. machine having in combination, a rotary cutter, means to feed a tap ed'gewise past said cutter comprising tap-engaglng surfaces on the approach side of the cutter overlying the cutting edge them of and arranged to engage the portion of the tap being split; and other tap-engaging surfaces beyond the first said surfaces in the direction of .feed, arranged to engage only means on the approach side of the first said surfaces, arranged with relation to said outter .to present the tap to the first said sur and guiding faces so that a predetermined portion of the tap will be splitby said cutter.

15. A tap-splitting machine having, in combination, a rotary cutter, tapedgewise past said cutter moving tap-engaging surfaces arranged on opposite sides of the plane of the cutting edge, with the said surfaces on the approach side of the cutter overlying said cutting edge and with the remainder of said extending up to the cutting surfaces and cutter being so the surfaces overlying the cutting edge engage and control the portion of the tap being cutter is operating thereon comprising edge;

means to feed a surfaces only the said organized that and the remainder of saidsurfaces engage only the unsplit portlon of the tap while the split portion of the tap continues pastthe cutter.

5 edge on opposite sides thereof the portion of thetap being split, and other tap engaging surfaces in ahgnment with the 4 plane of the eutting'edge. engaging firs t seid surfeces for engziging the unsplit, portion of the tap whereby is fed past the cutter with Signed at Boston,'Ma&eachusetts, this 30th day of June, 1928.

WALTER J. RANcoURT.

the. split portion the split in the 10 

